USC head coach Lane Kiffin has the full backing of Athletic Director Pat Haden, who said Kiffin is not on 'the hot seat.' ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

A month from now, Lane Kiffin and his USC football team will board a plane bound for Hawaii in advance of the Aug. 29 season opener. It seems as though Kiffin will be sitting comfortably. His boss has declared that he is not on the ''hot seat.''

In a video statement released by USC on Thursday night, Athletic Director Pat Haden spoke for five minutes, mostly on the state of the football program. After a position-by-position breakdown, in which Haden touted improvements at running back, on the offensive line and on defense, Haden gave a lengthy, spirited defense of Kiffin.

USC went 7-6 in 2012, Kiffin's third season, and the Trojans are 32-19 overall under Kiffin.

In the statement, Haden said, "'I anticipate the media will ask me if our football coach is on the hot seat this year. Here is my answer and will be my answer whenever I'm asked: He is not. I'm behind Lane Kiffin 100 percent. I have great confidence in him. He's a very hard-working, detail-oriented coach. He's a dynamic play caller, in my estimation, and he's an exceptional recruiter. He knows USC and he knows what it takes to be successful here."

CALLING IT

Kiffin confirmed Friday at Pac-12 Media Day at Sony Studios in Culver City that he will continue to call USC's offensive plays despite the criticism he received last season.

"It's in the best interest of our football team for me to continue to call the plays," Kiffin said. "And that's not just on-field performance. I think that's with the relationships with the players, too."

Kiffin said one benefit of communicating directly with the players on a consistent basis is it develops trust and unity. He also said it aids recruiting.

"Your system is not going to change," Kiffin said. "Regardless if assistant coaches come and go – it happens all the time – (recruits) know they are going to have success. ..."

The starting quarterback position remains up in the air. Sophomores Max Wittek (Mater Dei) and Cody Kessler and freshman Max Browne are competing for the job.

"All three guys are going to go in with a shot," Kiffin said. "All three guys are going to be really good quarterbacks at USC at some point in their career. It's going to be an exciting competition."

Coaches are restricted from leading or observing summer practices, so Kiffin will base his evaluation on fall practices.

Marqise Lee said all three were getting equal chances to throw during the player-only summer workouts. He made sure to get reps in with each to build chemistry no matter which quarterback earns the starting job.

BEST CLASS

Kiffin has high expectations for the members of USC's 2013 recruiting class, half of whom enrolled early. He expressed the Trojans have "a need for them to contribute immediately."

USC's class had the potential to be even stronger, but it lost three five-star recruits in the spring: cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Florida State and defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes and safety Max Redfield (Mater Dei) to Notre Dame.

He attributed the frustrating losses partially to the poor ending of the season (1-5 in the last six games), as well as the rumors about his job security.

"Kids, especially a lot of those kids, were national guys ... (they're) not just choosing USC," said Kiffin, referring to the relationship and trust built with the staff and coaches as well.

Kiffin said there was too much focus on the recruits who were lost and not enough on those who were gained. The Trojans' 12 recruits included five five-star recruits and seven four-star recruits.

HEISMAN CAN WAIT

Marqise Lee, arguably the top receiver in the country, has been labeled a "2013 Heisman Trophy Candidate" by USC on the cover of its media guide.

Lee is determined to not let the hype become a distraction.

"The Heisman, the Biletnikoff Award, anything you want to throw out there is the last thing on my mind," Lee said.

He talked about the importance of being self-motivated and not relying on a coach or anyone else to "really make you hit the spot."

NOTES

Robert Woods' departure means all eyes are on wide receiver Nelson Agholor to fill a large role.

"I feel as if this season I can look over (at Agholor) and just think of him being Rob," Lee said. "He's stepping up so much and becoming a leader both on the field and off the field."

Added Kiffin, "We saw it this spring. Not only did we see Nelson perform as a No. 2 receiver, he was really performing as a No. 1 receiver." ...

Another departure – defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who was hired by the Dallas Cowboys after resigning – has left many wondering how the Trojans will fare transitioning into a new system. It appears the defense hasn't skipped a beat.

Linebacker Hayes Pullard described new defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast's 5-2 system as bringing "a new swagger" that "both the young guys and old guys" can execute well.

Kiffin said the defensive backs have been "better than ever" under Pendergast, who has a long resume as a defensive coordinator in college and the NFL.

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